Add and subtract counter and control device for a game apparatus



July 8, 1947. 2,423,725

ADD AND SUBTRACT COUNTER AND CONTROL DEVICE FOR A GAME APPARATUS F. A. POOLE Original Filed July 23, 1941 e m L Patented July 8, 1947 UNITED STATES 'ATENT OFFICE ADD AND SUBTRACT COUNTER AND CON- TROL DEVICE FOR A GAME APPARATUS tion of Illinois and Paul L. Poole,

Original application July 23, 1941. Serial No.

403,615, now Patent No. 2,368,874, dated February 6, 1945.

Divided and this application November 26, 1943, Serial No. 511,789

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to game apparatus and in general to registering and. counting devices.

A special object of the invention is to produce a counting device which is capable of integrating two series of events, one being taken in a positive sense and the other in a negative sense, and which at all times shows the difference between the number of events which have occurred in the two series. This counting device may be referred to as an add-and-subtract counter.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an add-and-subtract counter and suitable circuits for controlling it, which is especially adapted for use in connection with game app ratus, such as the well known pinball games. The invention will be described as applied to a game of this character.

The present application is a division of application Ser. No. 403,615, filed July 23, 1941, which matured into Patent No. 2,368,874,1ssued February 6, 1945, and is directed to features which are specific to a game apparatus.

The invention is described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawing, which shows diagrammatically the counting device, the various control circuits, and suiiicient of the game apparatus so that the operation can be described and understood.

For details of the type of game apparatus to which the invention may be applied reference may be made to the patent to Bellah, Reissue No. 20,698, and to the patents to Firestone, No. 2,004,981, and Hansen, No, 2,134,185. A game apparatus of this type comprises a cabinet in which there is mounted an inclined playing board such as is indicated at 10, and means including a ramp and a ball projecting device whereby balls may be delivered to Variable positions at the upper end of the playing board and allowed to gravitate toward the lower end thereof. The playing board 10 is provided with ball openings such as H in one of which a ball may come to rest in the event that it rolls into such opening in its course down the playing board. These openings may be equipped with contact devices and are usually assigned different values in accordance with the skill required to direct the balls into them. There is also provided a longitudinally movable ball releasing device such as l2, having ball releasing openings l3, through which balls which are caught by the openings H are adapted to pass when the corresponding openings are aligned by movement of the ball release device 12. When released the balls roll down an inclined runway 44 to the players end of the cabinet where they are. accumulated by a transverse runway and directed to a point adjacent the ball projecting device.

The reference character I5 indicates a solenoid which is provided for operating the ball release device l2. When the release device is operated, that is, moved to the right as seen in the drawing, a bracket 16 actuates a contact spring IT to bring it against the contact spring l8. These contact springs may be mounted in suitable manner on the runway I4, so as not to interfere with the return of the balls.

A game apparatus such as referred to herei is usually provided with what is known as a free game feature. That is, the game is so arranged that if the player exhibits a certain amount of skill in playing, he is rewarded by being allowed to play again without depositing a coin., The arrangements for introducing this feature vary with the particular game in which it is provided. A free game may be allowed, for example, when the total of the values assigned to openings in which balls come to rest equals or exceeds a given amount. In this case some kind of totalizer is required. The invention is not concerned with conditions under which free games are awarded, and accordingly a compare atively simple arrangement is shown, which is similar in some respects to the arrangement disclosed in the Firestone patent previously mentioned herein.

In addition to the ball openings such as H, the playing board I0 is provided with a free game p ng 20, which may be located at a point on the board where its accessibility to the balls is somewhat difficult. Associated with the openin 20 there is a normally aligned opening 24 in the ball releasing device I2 and a pivoted contact member 22 which is mounted on a bracket 2|. When a ball enters the opening 20 it passes at once through this opening and opening 24 and engages the contact member 22, rotating it on its pivot until engagement with the fixed contact member 23 is effected. The rotation of member 22 releases the ball from opening 24 and it passes off the end of member 22 to the runway l4. It will be seen, therefore, that a ball entering the free game opening 20 is immediately returned to the player via opening 24, and that in escaping from the opening 24 the ball momentarily closes the contacts 22 and 23. There may be several free game openings in the playing board, if desired, and when more than one such opening is provided the associatfd sets of contacts may be connected in p alle.

The contacts 22 and 23 may be referred to as "add contacts and the contact I! and I8 are subtract contacts. These two sets of contact jointly control an add-and-subtract switch which is indicated by the reference character S. This switch may be of any suitable and known type, but as shown herein comprises a shaft 26 and two ratchet mechanism by means of which the shaft may be rotated step by step in either direction. One ratchet mechanism comprises the stepping magnet 31, armature 35, pawl 36, and ratchet wheel 34, and rotates the shaft 26 in a counter-clockwise direction, as seen from the right in the drawing. The other ratchet mechanism comprises the stepping magnet 30, the armature 28, the pawl 29, and the ratchet wheel 21 and is adapted to rotate the shaft 26 in a clockwise direction. The first or add ratchet mechanism is so arranged that when the stepping magnet 31 is deenergized the .pawl 36 is withdrawn from the ratchet wheel 34. this being effected by the provision of a pin 38. The second or "subtract ratchet mechanism i arranged the same way, so that either ratchet mechanism may be operated to rotate the shaft 26 without interference by the other ratchet mechanism. In order to retain the shaft in any position to which it is rotated by one'of the ratchet mechanisms, a notched wheel 39 is provided, together with a pivoted arm 40 carrying a roller 4| which is held against the periphery of the notched wheel. This arrangement allows the shaft to rotate when one of the ratchet mechanisms is operated, the roller 4| riding over the raised portions of thewheel which lie between the notches and coming to rest'at the bottom 01' a notch upon the completion of each step. The shaft 26 is thus held against retrograde movement during operation of either. ratchet mechanism and is also held against accidental rotation which might occur due to a jar or shock.

The armature 28 of the stepping magnet 30 i provided with an extension 3| for closing a pair of contacts 32 and 33 upon the energization of the magnet. The function of these contacts will be explained in the course of the explanation of the operation.

The counter is indicated at C and is located beneath a rectangular aperture at the rear of the cabinet where it may be observed by the player. 'The counter itself is of known construction. A shown, it comprises a units wheel 45 and a tens wheel 46, which are mechanically interconnected in the usual manner so that the tens wheel is rotated one division for each complete rotation of the units wheel. The counter is geared to the shaft 26 of the add-and-subtract switch. As shown in the drawing, a gear 42 mounted on shaft 26 is in engagement with a pinion 43, the latter being fixed to a tubular shaft 44 on which the units wheel 45 is also supported.

Gears are provided because it is not practicable to connect the counter directly with the shaft of the add-and-subtract switch. For one thing, if the counter and switch shaft were directly connected, each ratchet wheel would have to be provided with ten teeth, which is not the ideal number, for fast and accurate operation. It has been found that better results are secured if rather fine teeth are used, and since there is an objection to making the ratchet wheel too small, the result i that a ratchet mechanism designed for most satisfactory operation without regard to other considerations has a considerably greater number of teeth than ten. The gear ratio depends on the number of ratchet teeth actually used in any case. If, for example, each ratchet wheel has forty teeth, then the gear ratio is four to one.

The units number wheel 45 is provided with a cam 41 for controlling a pair of contact springs 49 and 50. The contacts are held open when the wheel i in zero position and are closed in all other positions. The tens number wheel 46 has a similar cam 48 for controlling a pair of contact springs 5| and 52 in the same way.

The reference character M indicates a small alternating current motor which drives a cam 53 at a speed of about ten rotations per second. Associated with the cam there is a pair of contact springs 54 and 55, which are closed together momentarily during each rotation of the cam.

The apparatus is provided with the usual coin mechanism, which may be any suitable type, so long as it enables the player to close an electrical contact momentarily by the deposit of a coin. As shown herein, the coin mechanism includes a coin receiving device 58, which is mounted on the front wall 56 of the cabinet, and a coin slide 51. The coin slide is normally held in withdrawn position by a spring 6|, and means is provided (not shown) for preventing the slide from being pressed in beyond a certain point unless a coin ha first been deposited. With a coin in the slide, it may be moved inward freely and in its extreme inward position it closes a pair of contact springs 59 and. 60. When the slide is released it is returned by the spring 6| and the contacts 59 and 66 are opened.

Two push keys or switches 62 and 63 are also provided on the front wall of the cabinet where they are accessible to the player. The key 62 is a counter restoring key and controls two pairs of contacts 64-65 and 666'| for the purpose of restoring the counter C to zero position. The key 63 is the ball release key and controls a pair of contacts 68 and 69 to energize the solenoid I5. 7

Power is supplied to the apparatus over a pair of conductors 19 and 'l which may be connected to any convenient source of commercial alternating current. When the switch SI is closed the conductors l6 and 7| are connected to conductors l2 and 13, which extend to the primary winding of the step-down transformer T, the secondary winding of which supplies current at a low voltage to the conductors l4 and 75. .All the electromagnetic apparatus except the motor M is operated on the low voltage current supplied over these last mentioned conductors.

The operation of the complete apparatus may now be explained. For this purpose it may be assumed .that all of the equipment is in normal position, as shown in the drawing, except the switch Si, which. is closed to supply the necessary power for operation.

Before starting to play the game, the player deposits a coin, placing it in the opening in the coin slide 5'5, which is then pressed in and re leased. The operation of the coin slide collects the coin in known manner and also closes momentarily the contact springs 59 and 66], thereby completing a circuit for the stepping magnet 3i which extends from conductor '54 by way of contact spring til and 59, conductor 8d, and winding of stepping magnet 31 to conductor 15. The conductors "i4 and '55 being connected to the terminals of the secondary winding of the transformer 'I, the stepping magnet is momentarily energized and steps the add-and-subtract switch 8 forward one step, advancing the units wheel of the counter C one division to display the digit 1,

The counter now shows that the player has one game to his credit. The player may proceed to play this game or he may deposit additional coins before actually starting to play, which is a considerable convenience. The player may have decided, for example, to patronize the game to the extent of half a dozen coins, and these ma all be successively deposited. Each time a coin is deposited the stepping magnet 3? is momentarily energized and the add-and-subtract switch S is advanced one step. The counter C is also advanced each time and after six coins have been deposited it shows a total or six games to the credit of the player.

In order to play a game the player must first release the balls, which is accomplished by momentarily operating the ball release key 63. When this key is actuated, a circuit is completed which may be traced from conductor M by way of contact sp ings 68 and 59, conductor 8i, winding of solenoid l5, conductor 82, conductor contact springs t9 and 5d, and conductor {it to conductor 75. It will be noted that this circuit cannot be closed unless one of the counter wheels is out of its zero position. Upon the completion of the circuit as traced, the solenoid i5 is energized and moves the ball releasing device Iii to the right, thereby releasing the balls and making them available to the player in known manner. The key 655 is held operated momentarily, just long enough to insure the release or the balls, and is then restored, whereupon the solenoid ii": becomes deenergized and restores the ball releas ing device l2.

During the time that the ball releasing device i2 is held in releasing position by the solenoid i5, the contacts I? and [8 are held closed by the bracket l6 and a circuit is completed for the stepping magnet 3!! of the add-and-subtract switch, said circuit extending from conductor it by way of contact springs H and i8, conductor 85, conductor 865, winding of magnet 3Q, conductor 83, contact springs 49 and 5G, and conductor84 to conductor ?5. The stepping magnet 39 is accordingly energized and steps the add-andsubtract switch S backward one step, the magnet deenergizing after the circuit is broken. The units wheel 45 of the counter C is thereby rotated in a subtract direction for an angular distance of one division and subtracts 1 from the total previously registered. If the counter initially showed a total of six games, for instance, it will now show a total of five games remaining to the credit .of the player. The player has one game less to his credit, but the balls have been released andthe game may proceed.

As the balls are projected to the upper end oi? the playing board and gravitate to the lower end, some ofthem may lodge in the openings such as H in known manner. The player will naturally endeavor to direct the balls so that they will enter the free game opening 20. If he is successfuLthe ball will pass through the openings 20 and 24 and operate the contact spring '22 as previously described, thereby closing a circuit for the stepping magnet Bl of the add-and-subtract switch S which extends from conductor M by way of contact springs 22 and 23, conductor 86, and winding of magnet 31 to conductor 75. Magnet 3? energizes momentarily andadvances the switch S one step. The counter C is also advanced and adds 1 to the total previously shown.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the player succeeds in directing a ball into the free game opening 20 the result is the same as when a, coin is deposited. In case considerable skill is exhibited, the player may gain a number of free games with one series of balls, that is, during the play of a single game.

The game is finished when all of the balls have been projected onto the playing board. The player may then prepare for playing a second game by operating the ball release key 63, with results as already described. That is, the balls are released by energization of the solenoid l5 and the switch S is stepped backward one step by the magnet 39, the counter C being thereby opera-ted to subtract 1 from the total displayed.

In this manner a number of successive games may be played. If the player does not average at least one free game in each game played the total shown by the counter C will decrease and the counter is eventually restored to zero position. It will be assumed that the player has been unsuccessful and that the counter C has continued to subtract until only one game is left to the credit of the player. When the ball release key 63 is actuated to prepare for the last game, the solenoid I5 is energized to release the balls and the stepping magnet 3! is also energized. The energization of the stepping magnet steps the switch backward one step and returns the counter C to zero position. In returning to zero position, the units wheel 45 separates contact springs 49 and 50 and thus breaks the previously traced circuits of solenoid l5 and magnet 30. The energization of magnet 36, however, has closed the contact springs 32 and 33, which are connected in shunt of contact springs 49 and 5B; and since springs 32 and 33 are adjusted to close before springs 49 and 50 become separated, the circuits of solenoid l5 and magnet 30 are maintained over the path through springs 32 and 33. This arrangement insures full operation of the solenoid l5 and stepping magnet .30. When the key 53 is released, the circuit of the solenoid is broken at the key and the solenoid is deenergized, restoring the ball releasin device I2. The circuit of stepping magnet 30 is therefore broken at contact springs I1 and I8 and the magnet deenergizes, separating the contact springs 32 and 33. The circuit of the solenoid I5 is now open and cannot be again closed by actuation of the key 63 until another coin is deposited to set up a game to the credit of the player on the counter C.

It may be assumed now that the player is more successful and gains a number of free games. If his success continues he may run up a considerable total of games to his credit on the counter C. At this juncture the player may tire of the game for the time being, or he may notice that the time which he can spare for play has become exhausted. For one of these or other reasons the player may decide to quit play, and in this case will call the proprietor of the game and have him note the number of games to the credit of the player on the counter C. The proprietor may give the player a number of tokens equivalent to the number of games shown, wherewith the player may continue play at such time as he may desire.-

The proprietor of the game will now restore the counter C to zero position in order to place the game in condition for use by another player. In order to accomplish this, the key 62 is operated. Upon the operation of the key a circuit is closed for the motor M at contact springs 64 and 65, these springs being effective to bridge the motor across the conductors 12 and 13. The motor operates and rotates the cam 53. The key 62 also prepares a circuit for the stepping magnet 30 at contact springs 66 and 61, which is completed by cam 53 each time it closes contact springs 54 and 55. This circuit extends from conductor 14 by way of contact springs 65 and 61, contact springs 55 and 54, conductor 86, winding of stepping magnet 36, conductor 83, contact springs 49 and 50 (or contact springs and 52 if the units wheel 45 is at zero and the tens wheel 46 is not), and conductor 8 1 to conductor 15. The cam 53 closes the above circuit intermittently and thus sends impulses to the stepping magnet 30, whereby the counter C is rapidly returned to zero position. The last step is accomplished by aid of the contact springs 32 and 33, as previously explained. The operation of the magnet 30 ceases as soon as the counter has been fully restored, and the proprietor will then release the key 62.

The invention having been described, that which is believed to be new and for which the protection of letters patent is desired will be pointed out in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a game apparatus, a numerical counter, means responsive to the deposit of coins for advancing the counter to register the number of coins deposited, normally inoperative control means for initiatin the play of the game, an electromagnet for operating said control means, a circuit for said electr-omagnet, and contact means disposed in said circuit and controlled by the counter when one or more coins are registered thereon for rendering said circuit operative.

2. In a game apparatus, a numerical counter, means responsive to the deposit of coins for advancing the counter to add one unit for each coin deposited, control means for initiating the play of the game, an electromagnet for operating said control means, a circuit for said electromagnet, contact means disposed in said circuit and controlled by the counter when one or more coins are registered thereon for rendering said circuit operative by closure of said contact means, manually operable contact means disposed in said circuit to actuate said electromagnet so as to operate said control means when it is desired to initiate the game, and

' ing said control means, a circuit for said electromagnet, contact means disposed in said circuit and controlled by the counter when one or more coins are registered thereon for rendering said circuit operative-by the closure of said contact means, manually operable contact means disposed in said circuit to actuate said electroma net so as to operate said control means when it is desired to initiate the game, means operated responsive to a predetermined play for causing said counter to add as in the case when a coin is deposited, and means responsive each time play of the game is initiated by the operation of said manually operable contact means for operating the said counter to subtract one unit from the total registered thereon.

4. In a game apparatus, a numerical counter, means responsive to the deposit of a coin for advancing said counter, an electromagnetic device for placing the game in playing condition, a circuit for said device prepared by the operation of said counter, and a switch controlled by the player for closing said circuit.

5. In a game apparatus which is provided with a numerical counter, coin receiving mechanism and a free game device, means for operating said counter under control of said coin receiving mechanism and also under control of said free game device to credit a player with games to be played by advancing the counter from any given numerical position to a higher numerical position, player controlled means for preparing the game apparatus for re-play after each game is played. said last means being inoperative unless the counter shows one or more games to the credit of the player, and means responsive to the operation of said player controlled means for causing the counter to subtract one game from the number credited each time a game is played.

6. A control device for use in coin controlled game apparatus provided with a coin slide and equipped with normally inoperable play conditioning means and a numerical counter, said device comprising means responsive to the actuation of said coin slide subsequent to deposit of coins therein for advancing the counter to register the number of coins deposited, means governed by said counter when the deposit of one or more coins is registered thereon for rendering said play conditioning means operative, and player controlled means for releasing the operative actuation of said play conditioning means.

7. The structure and combination defined in claim..6, together with means responsive to the actuation of said player controlled means for operating said counter to subtract one unit from the total previously registered thereon.

8. The structure and combination defined in claim 6, together with means responsive to a predetermined play for operating said counter to add as in the case when it is operated in response to the actuation of the coin slide.

9. The structure and combination defined in 01 im 6, together with means responsive to a predetermined play for operating said counter to add as in the case when it is operated in response to the actuation of the coin slide, and means responsive to the actuation of said player controlled means for operating said counter to subtract One unit from the total previously registered thereon.

AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY OF CHICAGO, By LOUIS W. FISCHER,

Vice-President. PAUL L. POOLE, Executors of the Estate of Frederick A. Poole,

Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,985,736 Bellah Dec. 25, 1934 2,076,832 Tigerman Apr. 13, 1937 2,134,185 Hansen Oct. 25, 1938 2,125,689 Radtke Aug. 16, 1937 2,044,328 Radtke June 16, 1936 922,466 Flegel May 25, 1909 1,492,319 Copeland Apr. 29, 1924 2,004,981 Firestone June 18, 1935 2,216,957 Nicolaus Oct. 8, 1940 

